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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bank — for money
  3. prune — to trim
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. court — of law
  7. bank — for money
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. court — for sport
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mug — to rob
  13. court — of a king
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mug — a face
  16. chip — to eat
  17. snap — to click
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mug — a cup
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. chip — for betting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com